LAHORE - Social media can play a vital role in the socio-economic uplift and image building of the country as voices heard in the virtual space come from different nook and corners of Pakistan.
Despite the fact that Pakistan has various print and electronic media organisations but the flogging video or double murder case came in the limelight through social media website. Arab Spring is another major example of the strength of social media.
This was the crux of the first-ever International Urdu Bloggers Conference 2013 organised by the Asian Canadian Journalists Association (ACJA) at Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) here on Saturday.
Addressing the inaugural session of the conference, LCCI Vice President Mian Abuzar Shad stressed the need of utilising collective wisdom of blogging and social media community to bring the country out of the socio-economic turmoil. Bloggers or social media writers are emerging think-tanks of the modern world, who can provide innovative solutions to pressing problems, he added.
Abuzar said that the business community was ready to invest in new ventures for economic well-being and creating job opportunities but it needed new ideas, which could come through these brilliant minds.
He highlighted that leading businessmen, economists and politicians were already getting benefits of this collective wisdom, but still there was a need to develop the culture of reading and writing. “There is a need of promoting Urdu blogging side by side English blogging as the process of thought is better expressed in one’s own language, “ he observed, citing that Germany, Japan and China were the glaring example of achieving progress and glory in every field, including economic, while sticking to their own national language and traditions.
The Chamber’s VP said that blog writing not only sharpened one’s intellect but also enabled him to share his experiences with persons in the other parts of the world for the collective benefits.
He assured the ACJA and blogging community of the LCCI’s support for promotion of these thought-provoking efforts and idea sharing. He said it was the time when people use to write their email addresses on their business cards but now they take great pride in sharing their blogs and social media links.
Delivering the welcome speech, ACJA President Mohsin Abbas said the very objective of the conference was to tell the businessmen that they did not need to learn English or any other language to use information and communication technology as they could have new ideas and solutions to different problems suggested by Urdu bloggers in their own language.
He said he came from Canada to encourage his fellows in Pakistan in their efforts to express their opinion on different social problems and suggesting their possible solutions. He added that he had the plan to arrange such conferences annually in different cities of Pakistan to create unity and connection among Urdu bloggers to encourage them.
It was encouraging that on his invitation bloggers from all big and small cities, including Quetta, Karachi, Peshawar, Sialkot, Khanewal, Multan and other parts of the country participated in this event on their own expenses, he added.